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Your StoriesYou are in: Gloucestershire > People > Your Stories > Learning to ride  Learning to rideWould you swap your four wheels for two? BBC Gloucestershire's Chris Sandys has taken the journey to become a fully fledged motorcycle rider. Share his experience here.  If you missed the reasons for this journey of mine or you want to hear the whole learning process explained, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click 'Next'.
Step Three: The Direct Access courseEssentially this course is the most expensive option for me as an adult learner rider but the quickest way of getting on the road with a 'big' bike (i.e. above 125cc). The course takes three of four days (four days for me, as I need all the experience I can get!) of intensive learning with the first two days on a 125cc bike (the same as I used for my CBT) and day three and four on a 500cc - the bike I would be taking the test on. I began the course with some time in the classroom, going over the systems I'm learning as a motorcyclist and using the whiteboard to illustrate the important elements of the highway code we'd be working on. Before long we were back in the car park with the cones, using the 125cc bike to refresh the techniques I had learnt during the CBT. It didn't take long before we were out on the roads again. Now I'll try and compress four days of training into just a few paragraphs of writing! ExperienceIt became clear from the off that the first few days would be needed to gain riding experience but also to keep repeating the elements I was struggling with until they sank in. For example, the 'lifesaver' observation you do before changing position on the road or taking a right or left turn. I still find it surprising just how important every correct turn of my head is, or body movement, to communicate an intention to other road users. The first few days were also used to work on my U-turn, controlled stop and hill starts...which are harder than you'd think! Then on days three and four I graduated up to the 500cc bike that I would be using to take my test. Just to reiterate, the DAS course is the only option available to an adult who wants to take their test on a big bike and then ride whatever they want once passed. ConfidenceNow on the bigger bike, the time was spent going over all I'd learned already but getting used to a machine that is both heavier and more powerful. By day four I finally felt like things were falling into place and riding was becoming more natural and comfortable. So, with fresh confidence and a hunger for more, there's now only one thing left...the test! This is usually booked for the final day of the course although let me be clear that the three or four days of training before are NOT just to get you through the test.  My training was carried out to prepare me for a lifetime of safe motorcycle riding. The test was just the official assessment given by an examiner. Click 'Next' below to share Chris' experience of the Theory Testlast updated: 26/02/2009 at 14:54 Have Your SayIS Gloucestershire a great county for owning a motorbike? What advice can you offer Chris as a new rider?
Neill.
Paul Aird
Martin Hammett
dave
Steve Guest
Graham
Duke Theedam
nan shaw
John Kennedy
James Hanson
Ali B
James Hanson
Graham Wright
Duane Phillips SEE ALSOYou are in: Gloucestershire > People > Your Stories > Learning to ride |
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